Wednesday, January 30, 2008

The National Park Service shut down the road to the summit, at the 7,000 foot level, due to high winds and icy conditions. It usually snows up there at least once a year but its a little early this time around. It doesn't get very deep, just a couple of inches, but lets face it, people here don't have the proper tires or experience to negotiate those conditions.

This also explains why my body is aching beyond belief. I don't handle "low-pressure" systems very well anymore. The muscles tighten up, the joints refuse to work and just a general case of malaise.

I know. I am just a wuz.

So, about 3:30 PM I was awake and just called off. It was hard enough being out of bed, let alone sitting in a cab all night. Besides, it was Tuesday night and, as you've read here, Tuesdays have been really shitty of late.

***

If I would have stayed married, yesterday would have been my 40th wedding anniversary. Instead, this summer will mark 20 years of being single. I think both the ex and I are happier this way. Now we can be friends rather than enemies.

***

My son Rob called last night on his way home from the gym. Thats the nice thing about cell phones, long distance calls are free. He and the family are doing great. He told me that the weather in the Central Valley of California has been very wet and very cold. I remember those days, without longing. The city he lives in has very poor storm drainage. No run-off system, just reverse dry wells. This means if they get more than ¼ inch of rain in a 24 hour period the streets flood. Well, most of the storms that have pummeled California this year have greatly exceeded that. Which means that the roadways and intersections in town are great big swimming ponds. I don't miss that at all.

***

My good friend, DogBait and his wife, Linda, have finally retired from their respective jobs.

CONGRATULATIONS!

They'll be heading back to Nepal, in October, to do a little trekking of the mountains. I am so happy for them.

***

Well, fearless leader has given his final State of the Union address to Congress. As usual, he either misrepresented the facts or, maybe, he exists on a different reality plane from the rest of us. He has lied and cheated since day one of his campaign to become President and I can hardly wait for him to become history. And History will not be kind in its evaluation of his legacy. The worst President we've had in my memory. He even made Richard ("I am not a crook") Nixon and Ronald ("Whats my line again?") Reagan look good. In my lifetime the 2 best men that have held that office were Harry ("The buck stops here") Truman and Gerald ("Watch out for that tree") Ford. Both took office in troubled times and under difficult circumstances and put the needs of the country before their own political ambitions. A rare breed of politician.

I really don't care who our next President is. Just cats of a different stripe from what I can tell. Regardless of political affiliation. They'll promise us the moon and won't deliver on diddly-squat. Each candidate's rhetoric is empty and without substance or detail.